*4.5

This one was fun because there was such a different dynamic between the grandpas and I loved it. Saint and Lola never stopped loving each other even after all these years. He is such a good dad to Rosie and she was adorable. Seeing her relationship with Lola grow and Rosie opening up was really cute. I loved when she started dressing just like Lola and made Saint change her hair just so she could match.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I loved A Proposa They Can't Refuse and have been anxiously waiting for Natalie Caña's next book!

Saint and Lola were high school sweethearts but life pulled them apart. Now that Lola is back in their hometown, life has pushed them back into each other's lives. Once they reconnect, the love they once shared is immediately palpable to the reader. And let's not forget their Abuelos and Rosie, who were truly the highlights of this book for me!

This book was such a quick read and while I definitely enjoyed it, I still felt like something was missing. I think part of the issue was that several weeks would pass between some chapters and the development of certain plot lines felt lost in between which led to a lot of telling us what happened instead of showing it on the page.

A sequel as incredible and as intoxicating as the first! Something about Natalie Caña’s writing is so delicious. I love the characters, I love the romance, the spice, the ABUELOS, everything. I could probably gush about this book, and the Vega family, forever. It’s genuinely so much fun and so heart warming! I love it, I love it, I love it!

"A Dish Best Served Hot" is a beautifully written second chance romance with an emphasis on community and family.

Saint Vega and Lola León have history. They dated in high school but choices and circumstances caused them to go their separate ways. They reconnect when they are both called into a situation with their grandfathers at the nursing home. Papo Vega and Benny are engaged in a prank war of epic proportions and their involvement in this book provides some well placed comic relief.

The connection between Saint and Lola is immediately evident the moment they lay eyes on each other again. I really appreciated how they individually owned their mistakes from the past and put them aside to find a new location for the community center/shelter, El Hogar. Community is a big theme in this book and it highlights a common interest for them as a couple while also being a key part of Lola's identity.

The other major theme in this book is family and the author does not shy away from tough realities. There is growth for the characters as individuals and also in their relationships with each other and their families. The other shining star of this book is Saint's daughter, Rosie. She is a precocious four year old that never stops talking around family, but refuses to talk at school. No one knows why, but Saint is a staunch advocate for his daughter and Lola follows suit when she becomes Rosie's substitute preschool teacher. These three create their own family unit and some of my favorite scenes in this book are of them together.

The conflict in this book comes about due to an outside source and forces Saint and Lola to face some hard truths about themselves. There is a third act breakup, but it makes sense and allows them to work out the things that are holding them back.

This book broke me in the best way. I feel like I typed a lot of words in this review without really saying anything, but I find that happens when I really love a book. I felt the same way after reading "A Proposal They Can't Refuse". I am fully invested in these characters and cannot wait for more books about the Vega family.

*The rep in this book is fantastic. Lola is plus-sized and bisexual. Saint is dealing with PTSD from the military. There is also chronic illness and LGBTQIA+ rep with side characters.

Single parent + second chance!

Years ago, Saint chose to serve his country over the girl he loved. Now, he’s struggling to figure out why his young daughter isn’t talking at school, stop his Abuelo’s escalating pranks, and keep his tight-knit big family close.

Lola has returned home to care for her Abuelo & to serve the community center she loved as a child, but now as a social justice advocate.

Neither expects to have to work together to save the community center or to stop the feud between their abuelos. And those old feelings come back.

Read if you love…
- single parent, MMC
- second chance
- nickname in another language
- dual perspective
- forced proximity
- “good boy” & “good girl”

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I think for me as a mood reader, I struggled with the second chance part and that affected all of my thoughts on it. It was situational, not miscommunication, which helped. But still definitely affected my thoughts on the book.

I re-read A Proposal They Can’t Refuse prior to this & it was so worth it. APTCR follows the youngest Vega sibling. This book follows the oldest Vega sibling: a single dad struggling with PTSD & just trying to do the best he can for his kiddo.

I loved all of the cameos from the Vega family and the chaos they always caused, especially their Abuelo. I loved loved loved the twist in that both MCs had their grandfather in the same senior citizen home & these two older men had a hilarious prank war going!

I also loved the plot with Saint’s daughter Rosie in that Lola is her new teacher. I just flat out adored Rosie!

Representation: bi FMC; Latinx MCs (Puerto Rican & Mexican); PTSD; panic attack

Trigger warnings: brief mentions of war

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

4.25 stars

A Dish Best Served Hot is the second book from the Vega Family Series.

Lola has recently returned to town after having to leave due to complications caused by her family. She sees her ex boyfriend Saint and they get to know each other again after she becomes his daughter's teacher.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the complexity of each character's background and character growth, including Rosie, Saint's daughter. I thought the book flowed well throughout every character arc and was engaging and interesting.

This book features the tropes; second chance romance, plus size bi FMC, single dad, diverse romance.

I definitely recommend this book if you haven't picked it up yet. This book can be read without reading the first book in the series.

The first book was so good and cute, but Saint & Lola their chemistry was everything. I adored their heat and passion jumped off the page. I inhaled this book and everything that it stood for. I got to see another badass FMC who fights for what is right, even if that means getting dirty. People can take a page out of Lola’s book and learn from her passion, myself included.

This was a cute second-chance read!

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Saint and Lola. They knew each other back in high school and the first few pages explain their first interaction from one another at that time in the past. It was a nice way to understand their connection. I am not usually one for a second-chance romance but this one worked well. They may have been in love at one point in time but all of that was in the past and in the present they are at odds when it comes to their grandfathers and the shelter that Lola works at. It was fun to see them getting off on the wrong foot and running into each other unexpectedly. It made for a good laugh.

A lot has changed since their high school days and Saint is now a father. He was a very protective dad and wanted what was best for his daughter. I can definitely relate to that as a parent. Lola has had a run in with the cops when it comes to protesting and her past is never far behind her when it comes to how people perceive her. I felt bad for her since she was only doing what she thought was right and people judged her. She is very kind and puts others before herself.

There is a lot that goes on with the plot besides the romance. A lot of realistic and very real events happen in the book that are similar to what has been seen in our own world.

Overall, this was a good read. I liked jumping back in and seeing what the Vegas were up to.

A DISH BEST SERVED HOT 🎡👨‍👧🏳️‍🌈🥰
By: @nataliecanawrites

•Bi FMC
•Veteran MMC
•Plus size rep
•Single dad trope
•Second chance romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I saw @nataliecanawrites say that if you liked her first book, you’re going to LOVE this one and she was 100% correct. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and their story. It was so fun to revisit Papo and his crazy shenanigans all over again. I can’t wait for the next Vega story.

There is so much to unpack here. Lola is a social justice advocate and an independent badass and then we have Saint, a single dad who is reserved but fully family oriented. He goes all in when it comes to those he loves.

I loved all the rep in this story, specially a plus size FMC! And she’s so confident! Yes, give it to me!!

Release date: OCT 31, 2023 🏃‍♀️

Thank you to @netgalley @htpbooks @_mira_books_ for this E-Arc.

3.75 ⭐️

I was so excited to read this after loving A Proposal They Can’t Refuse last year. I loved Saint and Rosie (who was adorable) and the relationship that Lola and Rosie came to have. It was nice to see Saint and Lola get their second chance after dating in high school and then being separated for so long. However, I wish we could’ve seen a little more of their relationship and romance throughout the book. I also felt like the 3rd act conflict/breakup was a lot at the end and resolved very quickly for what happened. We also got to see more meddling grandparents in this, which I was excited about before I started it! This book focuses on very important topics like gentrification, homophobia, racism, etc.

Love being back with the Vega family! This time around we learn more about the oldest brother, Saint. I loved reading Saints story, learning the history between him and Lola, hearing about Rosie’s mom and laughing at Papo Vega once again getting involved in helping his grandchild find their happiness.

I absolutely loved Natalie Cana’s (fix the n so it has a ~ on it on your phone) Proposal They Can’t Refuse, so I jumped at the chance to read this second book in her Vega Family Love Stories series, A Dish Best Served Hot.

As a kid, Lola had a bad attitude and was always getting into trouble. Now, she’s back in town to help with her grandfather and teaches Krav Maga at a local community center, one that serves the community’s needs, include a shelter for LGBTQIA+ teens who have been kicked out of their homes by their families not dealing with their gender identities. Lola’s hoping for a promotion and takes a job as a substitute pre-school teacher.

Saint (Junior) is Kamilah’s (FMC from book 1) older brother. He lives up to his name and always has. Not only is he named after one, but he also saved Lola and he has always been a good guy. He’s a widower with an adorable 4 years old who just happens to be in Lola’s new class. He also works in construction with his uncle and just got guilted into a project that could hurt his chances with Lola.

They haven’t seen each other in 17 years and didn’t leave things good between them. When a series of events pushes them together, it’s hard for them to stay away, but will Saint’s new project tear them apart again?

I really love this series. It’s funny, steamy, and sweet. I am plus sized, so I always appreciate a curvy FMC and an MMC who loves women like me. Especially when she takes control in the bedroom and he likes it. I’m not always a fan of kids in books, but I really love Rosie love the relationship she has with Lola.

The meddling grandpas are at it again! It’s like they’re running a matchmaking service at the senior home. They bring a lot of the humor to the series and I can’t wait to see what shenanigans they get up to in the next book. I’m pretty sure it’ll be Leo and Sofi in the next one.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

I really really liked the main characters of this book. I also didn't read the first one, but still really enjoyed this one. It could have totally been a standalone.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ //5
A Dish Best Served Hot : A Novel (Vega Family Love Stories, 2)
by Natalie Cana

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you love :
*Single Dad
*Second Chance
*Diverse Characters

This book is for you!

I devoured this book by Natalie! I love her writing and she delivered even more with this book. I absolutely loved Lola and Saint in this book. The first book was FANTASTIC and while it would be great if you read that one before this one, it actually isn’t necessary which I think it nice for some readers ( I highly recommend you do though because…well who doesn’t want more of this story…). These to high school sweethearts are just too adorable and I loved watching their story building even more in this book. This book wasn’t too slow and was not too fast—just right which I appreciate. I love how Natalie touches on many topics/issues that are relevant in lives today and did them respectfully and tastefully. This is a book that I do recommend that you browse the TW’s on because this may not be for everybody. This book is absolutely a must read and I will be sharing my thoughts and this book with all of my book besties! Bring on BOOK 3!!!!

I had a difficult relationship with Natalie Caña’s first book, A Proposal They Can’t Refuse. I liked so many things about it, but found the toxicity of Kamilah’s relationship with her family almost unbearable. I approached the second book in the Vega Family series with some trepidation, but A Dish Best Served Hot focused more on the community, and the Vega parents are on a cruise for most of the book.

Saint Vega is the eldest of the Vega children, and a single dad to Rosie. He had an intense romance with Lola León until he joined the Army after high school, and she left to finish high school in California with her mother for reasons. Now they are both back in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Saint is raising his daughter and working for his uncle’s construction company. Lola is working at the community center and Rosie’s new teacher. The two are drawn back together, sometimes acting in concert and sometimes at cross purposes. There were certain parts of the plot that don’t hold together if you look at them too closely, but the emotional growth that Saint and Lola experience is great. I adored the way they formed a unit with Rosie, even when they weren’t trying to date.

I appreciated the Vega family much more in this outing, and I especially appreciated Papo Vega acknowledging the sins of the past. In A Dish Best Served Hot, the family meddles a bit and there is plenty of teasing, but it doesn’t cross into meanness. One thing I would love to see less often in second chance romances though is lovers declaring that they never loved anyone else during their separation. It feels to me like there is an expectation that it can only be true love if they have only loved each other. I probably would have minded it less if I hadn’t just read four other second chance romances with the same conversation.

I am looking forward to the next installment, which I assume will be Leo and Sofi, who still deserves a truck load of apologies. I hope she has been healing and moving on with her life. Natalie Caña is so good at writing the intricacies of relationships and communities. She’s fantastic at showing how the things that can propel us forward can also hold us back. I love the way she loves her community and acknowledges where it needs to do better. She takes on a lot of deep topics without weighing down the plot. I haven’t loved everything about her books, but I love reading her books enough to stick with her as a reader.

CW: anxiety, ptsd, incarcerated family members, toxic family, familial abandonment, death of spouse in past, attempted kidnapping, children in danger, gun violence, police brutality off page.

I received this as an advance reader copy from MIRA and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I was thrilled to be approved for an eARC of A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña! Ever since I read A Proposal They Can't Refuse last year, Caña has become an auto-buy and auto-read author for me. In this second book of the Vega Family Love Stories, single dad and ex-marine, Santiago "Saint" Vega reunites with his high school sweetheart Lola León after Saint's enrollment in the military and Lola's disappearance due to her dad and brother's involvement with local gangs. However, this reunion is anything but sweet due to the nature of their reconciliation, and of course it has something to do with the Vega's mischievous yet lovable patriarch, Papo Vega. Saint and Lola's relationship becomes even more complicated when it's revealed that the construction company that Saint works for has a role in the closing of a local community shelter for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youths, which Lola is passionately involved with. As Saint desperately seeks a solution to fix both of his mistakes and somehow win back Lola and save the community center, stubborn and fiery Lola can no longer deny her overwhelming feelings for Santiago Vega.

I loved Lola's character and really saw myself in her. While she has a fiery and combative personality that is effective for fighting for her loved ones and community, she also possesses a softness that she reserves for the people she loves most. Lola's relationship with Rosie was absolutely adorable and I would not be mad if Natalie Caña ever decided to write a novella that detailed Rosie, Saint, and Lola's family life. As always, I loved how the epilogue was told from Papo's perspective and it is revealed to the reader that he was scheming the whole time. Papo Vega is the OG matchmaker and I love him for it. The foreshadowing to Leo's story was great and I am so excited for his story to be released next. In addition, reading A Dish Best Served Hot made me want to reread A Proposal They Can't Refuse because I loved the small moments with Kamilah and Liam, including the engagement party. Caña is such a fantastic storyteller because I always finish the books thinking these characters and these stories are real. I want to visit El Coqui and Kane Distillery so bad!

Overall, this was such a solid follow-up in the Vega Family Love Stories series. While technically this is a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading A Proposal They Can't Refuse first to get the full effect of Caña's storytelling and portrayal of Humboldt Park's most beloved family.

Thank you to NetGalley, MIRA Books, and Natalie Caña for this eARC!

A Dish Best Served Hot is another fun story about the Vega family. Saint and is daughter Rosie have such a sweet relationship and it is great to see how Lola fits in to their family.

I loved a lot about this book, from the second chance romance between Saint and Lola to their bickering grandpas to Saint's little girl. While I don't always love a dual timeline, I did love the romance. The extended family dynamic was great. It was sexy when it needed to be and soft when it needed to be but what really bothered me was the 3rd act breakup. I know there are a lot of people who require their romances to have a 3rd act breakup and while I'm basically ambivalent on that topic, I will say I need the 3rd act breakup to be cohesive and make sense in the overall structure of the story and not be resolved haphazardly. In the particular instance, the 3rd act breakup sort of comes out of nowhere and results in the 2 MCs hurling some pretty hurtful accusations at each other. The resolution of this drama comes about in a way that feels a little bit convenient and mostly done to set up who I imagine is the MMC of the next book.

Content Notes: on page gun violence and attempted kidnapping, off page loss of wife, off page loss of best friend, imprisoned family members, gang violence, fat phobic commentary by minor character, mention of queer kids being kicked out of their homes;

This book had A LOT going on, and it felt much longer than its 400 pages. It is raw and real, rife with depictions and descriptions of gang violence, LGBTQIA+-related hate crimes, and PTSD (please read content warnings before starting this book!). To counteract these heavier themes, Natalie Caña provides lighthearted humor with feuding and matchmaking grandfathers who cause trouble in their nursing home. This is what ultimately reunites our two main characters, Santiago "Saint" and Lola, who were high school sweethearts before Saint enlisted in the military and Lola had to run away with her mom for her safety. Now, seventeen years later, Lola is back to care for her grandfather and work with the community center (El Hogar) for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth, a cause near and dear to her heart.

Saint is a single dad to four-year-old Rosie. He left the military to raise her after his wife died. Rosie is one of the BEST (portrayals of) children I've read in romance novels, probably because she acts her age (not younger or older). She has selective mutism, only speaking when she's with her family (i.e., not at school). Lola is Rosie's new teacher, and she doesn't try to change her or punish her for not speaking. She provides a safe space for Rosie to learn, and she doesn't take it personally when Rosie still doesn't speak to her outside of the classroom. The connection they form is so pure and wholesome. Rosie wants to be exactly like Lola, dressing like her and doing her hair like her. So cute. And when Rosie utters her first words to Lola? I had tears in my eyes. Be still my heart.

The Vegas have to be one of my favorite fictional families. This book confirms my love for meddling families, ESPECIALLY grandparents. I liked the... unconventional "friendship" (camaraderie?) that forms between Benny (Lola's abuelo) and Papo Vega. Those two are adorable in a way that only old people can be.

I LOVED the representation in this book. Not only that, but the discussions that the characters had about social justice-related topics. Every character is Latine/Latinx (with the exception of one white teacher who quit at the beginning); Lola is half Mexican and half Puerto Rican, and Saint is Puerto Rican. Lola is fat and bisexual (the author is also bisexual). There is talk about the effects of gentrification, the slow acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people in some Latine/Latinx communities (because they are not a monolith), white saviorism, and fatphobia/discrimination.

A forewarning to those who do not speak Spanish: there is a lot of untranslated dialogue that isn't always easy to figure out through context clues. I can't be mad at this, because the author clearly envisions her primary audience as other Latine people. But if this is something that will bother you because of how much time it will take to type into Google Translate, then this book might not be for you. As someone who does not speak Spanish, though, I can say that I still found this book worth reading. I personally did not choose to translate the text. From knowing another romance language, I was able to piece together the gist of some dialogue, and the rest I knew I would figure out if it were consequential to the story.

I think some of the conflict, especially the conflict involving Lola's brother that leads to the third act breakup, is unnecessary and doesn't add to the storyline. I could have done without the third act breakup. I would have liked to see more intimacy (not just physical!) between Saint and Lola. The heavier themes, as well as the characters' individual personal growth, overshadowed the romance; that is to say, the romance was secondary to other subplots. There is only one short sex scene, so this book is not spicy (that's either a pro or con, depending on your tastes!). I usually read character-driven books, and this one felt mostly plot-driven. It is incredibly slow-paced, which is probably why its 400 pages felt like they dragged on. I wouldn't necessarily call it a slow burn, but it was a slow read (for me). Although this book is written in third person, it somehow felt like a first person book (I can't explain why or what that even means, but I do usually prefer first person narration). The ending perfectly set up Leo and Sofi's impending romance (all best friend's brother lovers, be prepared!), so I can't wait for book three!

I recommend this book if you love:

🎃 badass, fierce FMCs
🎃 duty-driven MMCs
🎃 single dad romance
🎃 second chance romance with (secret) high school sweethearts
🎃 "it's always/only been you"
🎃 social justice
🎃 family loyalty and shenanigans
🎃 meddling relatives
🎃 feuding grandfathers

Thank you SO much to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

I had a really hard time getting into this novel. It was difficult to follow at the beginning and I had to reread a couple times. This is limited romance in this novel, one spicy scene, which is totally fine - I just wouldn't classify this as romance.

The novel follows 2 MCs, with dual POV. They knew each other in high school but haven't seen or heard from each other in 17 years. The FMC is fighting to save a building and the MMC's daughter is a student. There are many obstacles they must overcome in this story.

For me personally this book was just OKAY, but what doesn't fit for me, might be better for someone else!